Sasuke's Trouble's
by WhySoSerious16
Summary: Sasuke was sure that things were supposed to get better after returning to Konohagakure. He was supposed to go through with his ninja suspension without any problems. But, one night, his thoughts won't allow him sleep and he meets his former sensei. What might Kakashi tell him to do to solve his restlessness?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Forgiveness**

Why did he feel this way?

Sasuke couldn't find a comfortable position while he tried to sleep. Not because the mattress was well beyond its years and needed to be replaced, but because thoughts of worry were brought to him every time he closed his eyes. Opening his eyes, he sighed in frustration as exhaustion began to take an assault on his nerves. Though he is naturally grumpy, there seemed to be a difference in his grumpiness at the moment… which was in a negative way.

_What the hell, _he thought to himself, rubbing his eyes. This hasn't happened before… and, as in before, meaning the past week since he had come back to Konoha. The Fourth Great Ninja war came to an end, thanks to Naruto's, Sasuke's, and the former Kage's help. Speaking of, when Naruto was giving his father one last goodbye, it took Sasuke a few minutes to wrap his brain around the idea that the fourth Hokage was Naruto's father. At the same time, seeing the father-son reunion brought a familiar face to his own mind.

But that wasn't the problem at the moment.

Tsunade established a week-long suspension from the life of a ninja on top of an ANBU shadow everyday. It was annoying but, according to Tsunade, necessary. "The fact that you aided us in the war prevents a harsher sentence," Tsunade had told him when they had gotten a second alone. "We owe you one Uchiha… thank you."

So he survived the week just like any other Uchiha would… just like Itachi would. Never did he have a single problem with his life back in Konoha _until _he was informed of reintroduction to Team Seven. It was odd because Naruto chased him around for years trying to get him to come back to the team they once shared, yet Sasuke sat here thinking of ever member of Team Seven; Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, and that pale freak. What was his name? Oh, right, Sai.

Well, as an Uchiha, Sasuke will only admit this _once_; he was worried. Yes, worried.

First was Kakashi. Sasuke couldn't help but remember when Kakashi had fought him with the intent to end what he failed to accomplish; keep Sasuke sane. He wasn't going to sugarcoat things, Sasuke had the intent to kill Kakashi, and this Kakashi knew. This was what Sasuke was worried about. Did Kakashi still think of the murderous intent that Sasuke had?

Then there was Sakura. He tried to kill her, he left her on a bench despite her pleas to get him to stay, and he had given her the cold shoulder of a lifetime. Not to mention, she had successfully avoided him the entire time he had come back to Konoha. What reason did she have to accept him back into Team Seven?

Sai… frankly, Sasuke didn't care about Sai.

Last was Naruto, the person he was sure he disappointed most. It didn't take a genius to see Naruto's reluctance when Sasuke joined to battlefield. After all, the two were like brothers in the sense that they were experiencing the same thing; they didn't have a family to return home to. Sasuke felt that since he had his and some point, he was worse off than Naruto. Now that he thought about it, telling Naruto such a thing was the assholest of all asshole moves. Sasuke frowned… did he just call himself an asshole?

Sasuke turned again only, this time, he didn't bother to close his eyes. He was contemplating whether he should actually try to go to sleep or go out and clear his head.

The latter option ended up winning.

Throwing the blankets back, Sasuke got up and threw on the first t-shirt he could find. He slipped on some shoes and, next thing he knew, he was leaving the Uchiha manor. Walking, without any destination, he hadn't realized that he was subconsciously following a familiar path. At the time, he hadn't noticed that he had walked the same path during his childhood to meet the very people his mind wandered off to.

He was going to the bridge Team Seven would meet for training.

It looked that same as it did all those years ago. The same crusting red paint on the handles, everything. A hint of a smile, not an _entire _smile, played on Sasuke's lips. Before him he saw the scene of him, Naruto, and Sakura waiting impatiently.

_After a while, Naruto shouted, "AWWW COME ON! WHERE IS KAKA-SENSEI, I WANNA TRAIN, YOU KNOW!" _

_Sakura's eyebrow twitched before he dealt his head a blow that would have killed him had she had the strength she had now. "Shut up will ya," she shouted in his ear, and he cowered away. The Sasuke now almost chuckled at the scene. The Sasuke then did absolutely nothing. _

Leaning against the rail, Sasuke didn't notice the presence of another and tensed up when someone said, "Well look what we have here."

Looking up towards the direction the voice came from, he found Kakashi crouched on a branch that belonged to a tree next to the bridge. He held up a hand, "Yo."

Sasuke, by reflex, looked away. He couldn't find the… _drive _to look Kakashi in the eye. This Kakashi noticed, and he jumped within Sasuke's line of sight. Eyeing him warily, Kakashi sighed as if he already knew what was going on with the Uchiha.

"Mind if I tell you a story," Kakashi asked, somewhat relieving Sasuke of his assumption that Kakashi saw right into his mind. With a grunt, Sasuke allowed Kakashi to go on. "In one of my Icha Icha Paradise volumes, I read something heartwarming. The main character Kakame was almost killed by a person he mentored when no one else was there for her. This girlwas named Sasune." Sasuke twitched.

"Well, when Kakashi- I mean Kakame was in the hospital, his doctor who was also a good friend of his came to talk to him. His name was Sakuro." Sasuke frowned.

Kakashi continued, "She- I mean he asked Kakame if he had a grudge against Sasune. If, assuming the opportunity ever arose, he would forgive her. Without skipping a beat, without taking any minute to think, Kakame said yes."

Sasuke was surprised. "Kakashi I-"

"It's rude to interrupt a story, even if you are an Uchiha." Sasuke rolled his eyes, and listened anyway. "Kakame explained why. He said, and this is straight from the book, 'A job as a teacher is to make sure their student learns in the best way possible. If their student so happens to decide to end their teacher's life, it is not the fault of the student… but the fault of the teacher.' So, in reality Sasuke, it is I that must apologize for putting you in such a situation."

There was silence. "You are not at fault for my stupidity," Sasuke reassured Kakashi before dropping a very significant, "But… thank you."

Kakashi's eye crinkled, just as Sasuke reverted back the young kid Kakashi once knew. He placed a reassuring hand on Sasuke's head, a hand that Sasuke didn't reject. Why did he feel like he was getting overly soft all of a sudden?

"Yare Yare, I feel in the mood for ramen. But, if I go to Ichiraku… Naruto will make me pay the bill." Kakashi sighed. "Well, see you at training Sasuke… it's good to have you back."

_Poof! _He was gone. And, even though Sasuke told himself he wasn't going to go looking for trouble as soon as he got in the clear… but he headed to Ichiraku nevertheless.


	2. Chapter 2

**Back Then and Right Now **

Sasuke, somewhere along his walk, came to find an internal battle raging within the confines of his skull. He didn't want to go see Naruto. How pathetic would that make him? But, at the same time, he didn't want to go home and show up at training looking like he died ten times over. How pathetic would _that _make him?

_This is stupid, _Sasuke thought arrogantly, _I should just go home. _

And, just when he was about to turn on his heel to head back to the Uchiha compound, he came face to face with a pale figure. A fake smile adorned the colorless cheeks, and Sasuke had to use every ounce of power within him to prevent him from jumping back in shock. After all… Uchiha's are never shocked.

"Hello Sasuke." There was a pause before the smile faded. "Or should I say… dickless."

The insult couldn't have been any greater to Sasuke. _Everyone _was right to assume the Uchiha's were… well endowed. But that is not an argument Sasuke sees fit to even ponder. But the sneer that sat on Sai's face, clad in his ninja uniform as if he had just gotten back from a mission. "Sai," Sasuke muttered. If there was one person Sasuke found the most annoying existence on the planet, it was Sai. After all, he resided in Konoha simply to replace him. And, from what he's heard from Tsunade, he has warmed up to Naruto in a brotherly way. Sasuke's always wondered if that were true… though he'd scoff if you ever asked him if he cared.

Next to them ran a creek, one which Sai took the liberty of sitting next to and pulling out his notebook within which he drew different landscapes. It was the perfect scene… had one of the boys been a girl. The wind blew calmly, brushing the strands of hair of both men, and the moon reflected perfectly off of the clear water. Spring had been well underway, and flowers bloomed lusciously along the bank. Sasuke scowled… this was disgusting.

When he turned to leave, Sai called out, "What do you plan on saying to Naruto?" Sasuke stopped. The fu- how did this idiot know? And, as if reading his mind, Sai explained, "I've read in one of my books that if someone is walking around at night, they are usually going to a friend for consolation."

_A friend… consolation. _"Let's talk Sasuke," Sai gave Sasuke no room to respond before adding, "Or are you scared?" That got Sasuke to sit down. _I'm not scared, _he thought.

There was a moment of silence, and the distance Sasuke put between him and Sai would never satisfy the Uchiha. The way the scene had played out made it look like the two were on a date. _I'm not gay, _Sasuke frowned, as if someone had verbally accused him of such a thing. In reality, the only thing the two could hear was the wind and the soft trickle of the water below. Oh, and the sound of Sai scribbling away at his notepad.

It was then that Sasuke began to get curious of what Sai was drawing. He didn't look up at all, intent on his page where his hand moved rapidly. He didn't stop to think… erase… rest his hand. He continued for about a good five minutes which was about how long it took for Sasuke to get exasperated. He stood quickly; ready to book it back to the compound to prevent any other encounters. But Sai ripped the paper from the notepad and handed it over to Sasuke. For a second, Sasuke thought about ignoring it, but he decided upon snatching it away from Sai who continued to look straight ahead… unperturbed.

Sasuke gave him an odd glance, swearing the guy had problems even Tsunade couldn't diagnose, but then he look at the paper.

It was a drawing of Team 7, most likely set in the future. Each member was smiling (save for himself) much like the picture they had taken all those years ago. But there was something missing. Something that was in the picture years ago but not now. Looking at Sai, Sasuke asked, "Why didn't you draw Sakura?"

Sure enough, in the picture, there was Kakashi, Sai, and Naruto despite the fact that it was mandatory to have one girl on the team. However, there is one instance in which the team didn't have a kunoichi, but that was absurd. Sakura would never- "Sakura left Team 7. She decided a while ago that she would study full-time under Tsunade so, in actuality, Team 7 doesn't exist. We are just a bunch of kids training under the Fourth's pupil." There was a slight pause. "Even to this day, I find that suprisi-" When Sai looked up, Sasuke was gone.

Where did Sasuke go? Well, where he decided to go in the first place. No, not the compound, but Ichiraku. After all, there was only one other person who knew Sakura more than Ino Yamanaka (a person Sasuke did _not _want to converse with), and that was Naruto. When he arrived, the blonde boy was, as expected, there and working on his fifth bowl of ramen.

At first Sasuke began to have second thoughts because what would Naruto assume? He would assume several things, among which would be one thing Sasuke did _not _want him to assume. Because then Sasuke was going to have to explain himself and Sasuke didn't explain himself to _anyone. _Hence his sudden decision to leave Konoha years ago. Did he ever stop to tell Naruto why he was leaving? No, so why should he now?

_Because now is different. _Let's note that Sasuke ignored this voice as he stormed up to the unsuspecting ninja and slammed the piece of paper on the counter.

Naruto, however, ignored it and said, "Decided to join me, huh, Sasuke? Ayame! Another bowl for my friend here!"

_Friend. _The word rang in Sasuke head for a few seconds before he demanded, "What is this?"

Looking down, Naruto replied, "Well it is a picture, Sasuke, I would think you'd know that by now." Sasuke growled… and Naruto sighed. It seemed like he had to explain himself to several different people by now. "Sit Sasuke… please. We need to talk."

Sasuke scowled for what felt like the millionth time. "About what? About how I was right; Sakura is _annoying _and can't think straight on her own! I don't know why you didn't stop her!"

"I didn't stop her because _you're _the annoying one here." The response took Sasuke by surprise. Not by the insult that it delivered, but the tone it was delivered with. Naruto sounded exasperated, as if Sasuke should have gotten this by now. As if, for years, they were trying to tell him this and this only. "I don't want her to leave but… I'm happy for her. She's found what she wants to do." He paused, eyeing Sasuke accusingly. "Without any outside influences."

The outside noises began to tune out and the picture that sat between him and Naruto because the center of their respective worlds. At least… Sasuke's. Naruto seemed fine with it even though Sasuke urged him to think otherwise. After all, Team 7 was supposed to be perfect again. With all of the sacrifice Naruto and Sakura put in… it was only natural that it should be. But then it hit Sasuke… _sacrifice. _

"I would watch her worry about you day and night when she had such potential wasting away. I've never hated someone as much as I hated you back then. You always called Sakura annoying... but I found it very annoying how you could let her sacrifice her life for you. I'm a different story... Sakura deserved better than what either of us could give her back then." Sasuke looked away. Well… there it was. "BUT! Now that you returned, I forgive you teme! Besides, we are going to be an amazing team and-"

Sasuke shook his head, crumpling the paper in the process. "Naruto, we won't be a team again. There isn't a place for me… even now." Naruto's smile faded to sadness as he watched the man he considered a best friend walk away. It was especially sad to see someone so determined as Sasuke give up upon realizing the greater affect his decisions had on people. He was a softie at heart, Naruto knew, which is why he shouted, "Then at least let Sakura know how you feel! She deserves to know, _teme_!"

"I know," Sasuke shouted back, but continued to walk away. "Dobe."

Naruto laughed openly; old habits die hard they say, and he knew he and Sasuke were back on track with each other. But, the realization that he was eating alone couldn't have hit any greater when Ayame called after him, "Oh… where did your friend go? His ramen is ready."

And just when he was about to reluctantly drown himself in solitude once more, he heard the voice of (what came to be his favorite) timid girl. Turning quickly, he saw her, pale eyes and all. "Hinata," he called excitedly, startling the girl who was with her younger sister, Hanabi. "How about you and Hanabi come eat ramen with me. My treat!" And when she said yes, his smile grew wider.

_You'll be happy too, Sasuke, _Naruto thought and Hinata and Hanabi joined them. _Sakura wouldn't allow otherwise. _


End file.
